


Ben's Bad Hair Day

by Dipole_Moment



Series: Ilvermorny Academy [3]
Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Alternate Universe - Ilvermorny, Ben Solo Needs A Hug, Ben Solo is a Mess, CPR, F/M, Magic, Near Death Experiences, POV Ben Solo, Quidditch, Size Queen Bazine, bazine is a bitch, reylo is endgame
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-12
Updated: 2020-09-21
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:35:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26432017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dipole_Moment/pseuds/Dipole_Moment
Summary: This is a companion piece toJust You Wait.Rey Niima (14) and Ben Solo (16) have had a contentious relationship ever since she came to Ilvermorny Academy of Magical Studies—elbow jabs in crowded hallways (mostly Rey), porgs released in dorm rooms (Rey again, with assistance from Rose), and candy bars laced with Nosebleed Nougat (Ben).Sometimes, one of them goes a bit too far...Ben’s only option is to endure four more entire days wearing a hat like an idiot.  Professor Holdo made him take it off in class, but reversed her decision as soon as she saw his bald head. Her pitying smile made it that much worse.The angry coals in his chest grew brighter.  Ben was going to plan his payback to Rey very, very carefully.
Relationships: Bazine Netal/Ben Solo, Rey & Ben Solo, Rey & Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Series: Ilvermorny Academy [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1911727
Comments: 26
Kudos: 50





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This isn’t a “Harry Potter AU” as much as it is “Harry Potter-esque.” I borrow some of the structure and lore from HP and mix it with other inspirations and flights of fancy. 
> 
> Hopefully everything will be clear from my writing, but if not feel free to ask questions in the comments!

Ben is annoyed and pissed off Monday morning when gets out of bed and all his hair stays on his pillow. Walking around campus with a bald head and giant ears on display will be embarrassing, but temporary. His girlfriend Bazine changes her hair almost weekly and uses beauty potions for accelerated growth. He’ll just ask for one of hers and take it tonight. In the meantime, he can wear a black knit cap made by his mother’s enchanted knitting needles.

Still, he feels self-conscious walking into the school dining hall. It’s early, so the tables are only half full. Can people tell he has no hair underneath the hat? Minor catastrophes are not uncommon at school, but he is _Ben Solo_ \- he has a reputation to maintain.

Bazine is sitting at their usual table, going over her Potions notes while sipping black coffee. Ben prefers tea. He had tried switching to coffee when they first started dating, but he couldn’t acclimate to the acidic taste and Bazine rolled her eyes if he added milk or sugar.

Bazine is a demanding girlfriend- but she’s also brilliant and beautiful and when she moans underneath him Ben feels like there is at least one thing about him that is worthy. In this one way, there are no expectations he falls short of or pain he has to endure to reach his potential. In fact, honing his skills in this particular subject is pleasurable for them both. If they’d had a particularly active session, Bazine would sometimes fall asleep next to him. It also bothers his roommate Hux to no end, which made for an added bonus.

Ben put up with Hux’s stupid cat that had peed on his bed on more than one occasion, so he wasn’t particularly concerned with Hux’s comfort.

Ben slides into the seat beside Bazine and starts piling his plate with food. Bazine looks up from her notes. “That hat makes you look ridiculous. Take it off.”

“I just have to wear it today,” he assures her.

“Why?” she asks curiously. He feel like answering, so he takes a large bite of toast. The bread is especially good this morning- freshly baked and seasoned with herbs and salt.

“Just because,” he mutters around a full mouth.

Bazine doesn’t like that answer. She turns her torso to face him fully and pulls out her wand. Ben briefly wonders what she’s doing but he’s hungry and not interested in pausing meal.

He should have. Bazine casts a quick spell that rips his hat from his head and sends it sailing to a neighboring table. Conversation around them stops. Bazine takes one look at his bald head and bursts out laughing. She doesn’t even make an effort to contain her mirth. Several people around them take that as permission to release their own giggles and exclamations.

That he has to chew and swallow a mouthful of sausage and toast before responding amplifies his embarrassment. Ben stomps over to the other table to grab his hat. Its occupants are staring at him in mixtures of shock and repressed laughter. 

“Hey man,” Poe greets amicably. He’s sitting with his arm around Zorii, who looks amused but isn’t bubbling with laughter. Poe and Zorii always hook up at the beginning of the school year, until quidditch matches start and their interactions devolve into acerbic jabs. “Spell go wrong?”

“Yeah,” Ben lies. He pulls his hat from a bowl of grape jelly and casts a stain-removing spell. Jelly rises out from the fibers of his hat before forming into a glob and splattering on the floor.

Ben’s eyes catch on Rey sitting across the dining hall. Her friends are openly staring and laughing, but she’s frowning at something to his left. He follows her gaze to see Bazine still cackling and wiping tears from her eyes. Ben turns away so he won’t have to watch the triumphant grin that will surely light up her face when she notices him.

Ben returns to his seat but finds he’s not hungry anymore. Bazine only has coffee in the mornings, and she’s down to her last sip. “Are you ready?” he asks. She has Potions on Monday mornings and he has North American Magical Governance in an adjacent room. When he times things right they walk together. 

Bazine purses her lips in exaggerated pity. “My sweetling, I think you’d better hurry off to the greenhouse before class starts. You’ll need morning dew rosemary to fix your condition.” 

He wouldn’t be getting a potion from her, then. Either she’s used up the last of hers, or she doesn’t intend to share. Ben won’t ask which. It hurts less if he can hold on to the possibility that she just doesn’t have anything to give him. At least she agrees to get the other required components from the lab, because he ‘ _looks like an elephant_ ’ with his ears on display.

* * *

There’s no rosemary in the greenhouse. Not even a stray sprig. Ben informs the Herbology professor of this impatiently.

Professor Clay is a tall, lanky man with pale pink hair down to his shoulders. He walks over to examine the empty plot with his usual unhurried pace. “So there isn’t,” he remarks, as if the situation was merely a curiosity.

“What happened to it?”

“I’m not sure,” he admits. “I didn’t even know it was gone until just now.”

“What are you going to do about it?” Ben demands.

Professor Clay simply shrugs. “Grow more, I guess. Seeds will come next week.”

Ben stares at him in disbelief. “You aren’t the least bit angry that someone broke into your greenhouse and stole from you?”

“Oh, I don’t keep it locked,” Mr. Clay informs him mildly. Ben squeezes his eyes shut in frustration.

* * *

He decides to try the kitchen. The potion he needs to make calls for fresh, morning cut rosemary but with this type of brew even dried rosemary should do something.

Their supply is almost entirely depleted, of course. _Miss Rey_ requested herb bread- the delicious toast he’d barely had an opportunity to enjoy this morning- and _of course_ the kitchen elves were delighted to accommodate her.

Rey gets special treatment from everyone- his parents, his uncle, and now the kitchen elves. All he receives are high expectations and poorly concealed disappointment.

The elves managed to scrounge up a jar of the dried, dusty herb that look older than Merlin himself. He takes it. 

Anger flares like stoked coals in Ben’s chest. Rey is more devious than he gave her credit for. There is no question that she’s responsible for his sudden baldness and the missing rosemary. Ben knew to expect something from her after he’d switched out her candy bar with a Nosebleed Nougat. It was their way- one of them would make an attack of embarrassment or inconvenience and the other would respond. 

This was coming very close to crossing a line, though. It isn’t enough to be the best; Ben needs the respect of his classmates if he’s ever going to fulfill his potential, and now Rey is threatening that. He just hopes the old, dried-out rosemary will work well enough that he won’t show up to Professor Snoke’s class tomorrow completely bald.

* * *

The next morning, Ben stares at his reflection in the mirror. He’d made and consumed the hair growth potion with substandard materials last night, and by morning he has the barest hint of fuzz covering his head.

He could send a letter to his mother requesting cut rosemary. It would take a day to reach her at the Ministry of Magic in London, then sit on her desk for at least two. She wouldn’t read it until Friday at the earliest. Upperclassmen were allowed off campus during the weekends though, so he’ll have fixed his problem on his own by the time she replies. Sending a letter to Han would be pointless. His father lived out of his van half the time and there was no telling where he was at any given point. 

He couldn’t go to Headmaster Skywalker either. Luke was adamant about not giving Ben special treatment, and besides he didn’t want his peers to think he had to run to his uncle for help.

Professor Snoke might help him…but he is more likely to instruct Ben to solve this issue on his own. Snoke always pushed him to grow stronger.

Ben’s only option is to endure four more entire days wearing a hat like an idiot. Professor Holdo made him take it off in class, but reversed her decision as soon as she saw his bald head. Her pitying smile made it that much worse.

The angry coals in his chest grow brighter. Ben is going to plan his payback to Rey very, very carefully.

[Adam Driver No Hair](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/01/adamdriver.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=474)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me on twitter for updates, teasers, and sneak peaks! @dipole_m0ment
> 
> **Fun Facts**  
>  \- Bazine tells Ben he needs "morning dew rosemary"- meaning rosemary picked in the morning. Just something I made up to make things harder for him ;-)  
> \- Ben has never seen Hux and Millicent in the same room together.  
> \- I use the term “kitchen elves” to refer to the house elves in the Harry Potter series who specialize in cooking and running a kitchen.  
> \- I believe Nosebleed Nougat is also from HP. Predictably, it causes nosebleeds.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've switched from a present-tense narrative to a past-tense one for this story. I'm still trying to figure out my writing style so I appreciate you all for bearing with me!
> 
> [Young Adam Driver with no hair](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/01/adamdriver.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=474)
> 
> **Terms**  
>  **No-Maj** \- Used in the Fantastic Beast movies to refer to someone who is not a witch/wizard. AKA Muggle.

Ben spent a significant amount of money buying a hair growth potion from the salon in the Town of Ilvermorny. It was ridiculously marked up for reasons beyond him- but by the end of the weekend Ben’s hair had grown out several inches. The only problem being it sat like a mop on his head and he had no idea how to cut his own hair. The more he tried to fix it the shorter it got, until he was at risk of needing another potion. Bazine was acting indifferently towards him again, so he wasn’t about to ask her for help. It was just another thing Rey had ruined for him.

Inspiration struck him the following week during quidditch practice. Rey was Seeker for the Thunderbirds, and probably the youngest player to ever hold the position. She had an uncanny knack for locating the Golden Snitch before her opponents, although that did not guarantee she would catch it first. Ben had at first been convinced Rey must be cheating, but the truth was worse. She was just _good_ at it. 

Ilvermorny Academy’s quidditch pitch was not a traditional grassy field- instead, they played over a lake, since the school was buffeted on three sides by a dense forest that was home to beings both magical and mundane. More and more came each year, made refugees by No-Maj expansion. It was the same with the lake.

Ben Solo had come to learn many things about Rey over the past two years, one of them being her dislike of swimming in the lake. That year, Ben, Rey, and her friend Finn had all been dumped back at school before the summer was even over because their parents or uncles or whatever had _important things to do_. He’d watched Finn and Rey spend several hot days down at the lakefront. The first day she’d run shrieking out of the water after feeling a fish brush her calf, and after that wouldn’t do more than drag her toes through the water from the docks while her friend swam and splashed her.

Everyone was required to wear Water Repel charms when they flew over the lake. The charms would create an air bubble around the wearer if they fell in, and gently buoy them back up to the surface. It was a safety precaution for those who couldn’t swim and was generally more considerate toward the lake’s inhabitants.

During yet another holiday break when Ben was forced to stay at school with Uncle Luke, he had watched the school security team check the anti-break-in wards around campus. Security wards were like passwords- personalized and ideally confidential. Well, Ben knew the password to Rey’s forest-facing dorm room window.

It would be a simple matter to break into her room and swap out her Water Repel charm with an uncharmed replica. The difficult part would be convincing his quidditch teammates to do the dirty work for him.

* * *

Ben tried Zorii first. She was their team captain as well as Seeker, Rey’s direct counterpart. The planned strategy against Rey’s team was to leave her alone until she was in pursuit of the Snitch, then try to slow her or take her out with a Bludger if possible. It was difficult to get the Bludgers far from the main activity of the game with the dexterity needed to catch a Seeker. If Ben could get Zorii to direct the Beaters to focus their attention on Rey from the start, he would only need to worry about one person implicating him.

She was working on a Charms assignment in the Horned Serpent common room when he found her, and barely looked up at him when he proposed his idea.

“We’re sticking to our standard strategy, Solo. Beaters will stay central until Rey goes after the Snitch. De-brooming her won’t give me much of an advantage- it takes hardly any time to get back in the air from the lake. It’s better to harry Dameron until he throws a tantrum and does something stupid.” 

Ben went to the Beaters next. Cardo was working through a plate of boiled eggs when Ben slid into the seat next to him. The densely muscled young man grunted in greeting. He was the perfect Beater- physically intimidating and all too happy to follow orders—anyone’s orders-- when it encouraged him to pursue his passion for destruction. Ben had hardly launched into his spiel of fabricated tactical advantages before Cardo was agreeing to the plan. Ben was a little disappointed by how easy it was- Snoke wanted him to practice leadership and this was hardly a challenge.

He didn’t trust Cardo to communicate with the other Beater though, and Ap’lek proved a more of a challenge than he was prepared for. Had Ben possessed the wisdom of later years, he would not have used her at all. But at that time, he was young and reckless, and the desire for revenge overrode his better sense.

He tracked Ap’lek to the library, dodging an overdue book on its flight path to Mage Savalier’s desk, and waited until she had settled into a secluded study nook to approach and propose his plan.

Ap’lek stared at him with dark eyes, as unreadable as ever. “Why is this so important to you?”

Ben tried to mimic her flat affect and told a half-truth. “Winning is important to me.”

Ap’lek flicked her eyes up to his uneven haircut and considered him for a long moment. “Alright, I’ll do it. But you will owe me two favors.”

“Two?”

“Yes,” she replied coolly. “One for taking the girl out, and one for not telling anyone you’re going to sabotage her charm.”

Ben glared at her but didn’t not bother denying it. Ap’lek was clever. He tried to imagine what favors she might call in and how much grief it would cause him. He doubted she’d ask for something so trivial as illegal love potion or stolen test questions. What if she wanted something truly dark? Something requiring fresh heart blood or victims trapped in soul gems?

“Fine,” he agrees, “but there will be conditions. I don’t have to agree to any request you want. I get a choice. And I’m not making an Unbreakable Vow.”

“I wouldn’t ask you to,” she purred. “You forget that my mother’s people are blood mages.”

Ben frowned, fighting off the feeling that he was getting in over his head—his head of restored but uneven hair.

Ap’lek continued. “You may refuse me three times. More than that and you will be afflicted until your word is redeemed.”

‘ _Afflicted’_ was the term blood mages used to describe the consequences of breaking an oath. The oath breaker suffered increasing malaise until they fulfilled their promise. Those who tried to postpone whatever task they’d been assigned risked deteriorating past the point of capability, resulting in a slow and unpleasant end.

Ben’s better sense pleaded with him to walk away. But he remembered the laughter in the dining hall, Holdo’s pitying gaze, and the sheer disbelief of how thoroughly Rey had planned his humiliation.

“Fine,” he agreed. “How do we do this?”

Ap’lek flashed him a rare, toothy grin and withdrew a small dagger from her sleeve.

_Does she just carry that around_?

“Simple,” she replied. “Where do you want your favors?”

Ben departed the library with two shallow but painful cuts on the delicate skin behind his left ear. 

* * *

Ben watched Rey closely the day of the game. She was chattering inanely to her friends about why apple pie was the best fruit pie and really couldn’t be compared to pecan pie because that was like trying to compare apples and nuts and really, she was allowed to have as many favorite pies as she wanted.

There were no glares or knowing looks directed his way. Good, that meant she hadn’t noticed anything wrong with her charm. He was almost giddy imagining her water-logged and scowling. He actually had to force his mouth from curling into a grin.

It took immense focus for Ben to keep his attention on the game. Uncle Luke would definitely know something was amiss if Ben had his focus on Rey instead of scoring points- and Luke had promised his next detention would be expressing fathier anal glands. He just had to trust Cardo and Ap’lek to follow through- they’d decided to let the game play out a bit before going after Rey so it wasn’t immediately obvious to Zorii that her directions were being disregarded.

He did allow himself to glance up after shooting the Quaffle through one of Thunderbird’s laughably unguarded rings. Rey scowled down at him and he somehow knew just what she was trying to say with her eyes- ‘ _bastard’_. He grinned. _Just you wait._

Ben was just starting to wonder if Cardo and Ap’lek were going to do anything at all when both Seekers started zig-zagging through the game. Ap’lek and Cardo immediately switched their focus to target Rey. Rey was young and had the least amount of flying experience out of everyone in the game- but she was small, fast, and reckless. Even as she impeded more than one maneuver by her teammates, Ben started to doubt the Beaters would even catch up to her before the Snitch was caught.

Cardo finally got close enough to knock her with a Bludger, but she did a _fucking barrel roll_ to evade. At least it disoriented her enough to lose sight of the Snitch, and Ben watched with satisfaction as Ap’lek and Cardo followed Rey as she pulled up to search again. _Finally_.

“Solo quit fucking around!” Hux hollered, and Ben reluctantly directed his attention away. He knew the moment the Beaters succeeded, however, because the referee’s whistle let out a shrill scream and the noise from the spectators shifted in tone. Angry shouting mixed with startled exclamations.

Ap’lek or Cardo must have touched her broom, then. With the game paused, Ben looked up to see a grinning Cardo releasing Rey’s broom to plummet after her. Zorii is going to be pissed, their team will take a penalty, and Luke will absolutely know he was involved—but seeing Rey as spitting mad as a wet cat will be worth it.

He believed that until the moment she hit the water.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Any comments/questions are greatly appreciated!
> 
> Follow me on twitter for updates, teasers, and sneak peaks! @dipole_m0ment
> 
>  **Fun Facts**  
>  \- Overdue books are enchanted to return to the library from wherever they may be- sometimes flying out of students' hands or tearing holes through book bags.  
> \- Soul gems are inspired by Skyrim.  
> \- Blood Mage- Not intentionally based on anything. I imagine there are differing types of magic around the world with wands being a primarily Anglo-Saxton practice. Blood mages favor magic that centers on biological impacts/components. Tying favors to scars was inspired by The Hollows Series by Kim Harrison.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While others may disagree, Ben Solo could admit when he’d made a mistake.

While others may disagree, Ben Solo could admit when he’d made a mistake.

For example- orchestrating Rey’s fall into the lake had been a mistake. She’d hit the water almost flat on her back. The resounding splash had been more startlingly loud than he ever would have imagined. He almost felt his own skin sting with the memory of reckless summer belly flops.

Luke’s booming voice called for the audience to remain seated, but his instructions were steadfastly disregarded by Rey’s constant companions, Finn and Rose. Ben’s attention sharpened on their frantic shouting and waving arms.

_“—can’t swim!”_

His stomach dropped. That couldn’t be right- he’d seen her in the lake! She’d been hip-deep the day he’d watched her startle then come crashing out of the water... had he really not seen her swim?

_Shit._

Tearing off his Repel Water charm and plunging into the water after her was his next mistake. 

Summers spent at his mother’s property in Naboo had made Ben a strong swimmer. They had not prepared him for the task of pulling dead weight in the shape of a 14-year-old girl along with him while his lungs burned for oxygen.

She was already unconscious and sinking further into the lake when he found her. She looked like a doll- inanimate and limbs suspended in weightless repose. He grabbed an arm and tried dragging her along behind him, but his feet kept knocking into her and he was terrified of hurting her further. He pulled her body in front of his and looped his arms around her torso. This was simpler. All he had to do was hold on to her and focus on kicking his legs as furiously as possible.

The comfort of that thought did not last more than a second before the ache in his lungs became a desperate burn. He needed air, and the shimmering surface of the lake was not approaching nearly fast enough. He had no charms, no wand, and no spells he could cast— he was as helpless as a No-Maj. He would pass out from oxygen deprivation before making it to the surface—unless he let go of Rey.

Ben realized with a detached clarity that he had made his last mistake.

He locked his arms tighter around the girl and put every last bit of will he had into kicking his legs harder. Maybe his momentum would be enough to keep them moving upward as he passed out, and someone would be able to grab her before she slipped from his lax grasp. Or maybe they drown together. She was going to mock him endlessly for messing up his own revenge plan so badly he killed himself. Except, no she wouldn’t. They’d both be dead.

Just as his vision started to darken, Ben felt something like a hook behind his navel and water rushing over his skin. He breached the surface of the lake with Rey and took grateful gasps of air. His heart squeezed when she remained motionless and unbreathing.

Phasma and Poe sat astride brooms hovering inches over the water. “Let go of her,” Phasma instructed, with her wand leveled at his chest.

Ben balked, imagining Rey slipping out of his arms and down to the bottom of the lake. It took his brain a sluggish moment to realize what Phasma wanted, but she didn’t wait for him to catch up. The woman leaned over, boxed one of his ears, and when his grip loosed on Rey, used her wand to pull the girl pulled out of the water on an invisible tether and speed to shore.

Poe had no wand to help pull Ben out of the water. It took more a few minutes of awkward flailing to get Ben draped over the back of Poe’s broom, soaking the other young man in the process.

As they approached the edge of the lake, he could see the other players crowding around Rey’s still form. Phasma knelt next to her on the ground, alternating between castings of _respiratus_ and _tympanum_ to move the lungs and heart.

Ben clambered off Poe’s broom as soon as they reached land and pushed his way into the circle. Phasma cycled through several rounds of magically assisted CPR, but still Rey’s eyes remained closed and her body failed to resume independent function.

_Fuck_. He’d killed her. This was a nightmare he couldn’t wake from. All the fury and embarrassment he’d felt in the past few weeks suddenly seemed trivial. She was just a kid. How could he do this to her? How could he live the rest of his life knowing she was gone because of him?

Maybe she’d become a ghost. It was a traumatic death- murder and drowning. And she was the vengeful sort. She’d want to haunt him.

It would be okay. She wouldn’t really be gone. She’d be pissed about spending the rest of her afterlife in a lake, but he’s fairly certain the ghost of R’iia can reach the lake. No one’s seen her for decades, if you don't count unnatural wind gusts harrying delinquent students, but she died protecting the school so he’s sure she’ll take care of Rey.

And he can visit to keep her company. She’ll be mad at him for a good long while, but he’ll keep coming back until she’s forgiven him and he can read to her and tell her about all the things happening in the world she won’t be able to see.

He’ll bring her pie too. Apple and pecan and any flavor she wanted. No that’s not right, she won’t be able to eat. But maybe if he eats it and describes it to her? Or would that make it worse? 

Maybe he can even find a soul gem to hold her. They’re mostly used to confine, destroy, or enslave spirits but he’ll at least be able to take her with him and he’ll let her out of the gem anytime she wants.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck!” Phasma angrily leaned back and took a deep breath.

Ben clambered off Poe’s broom as soon as they reached land and pushed his way into the circle. Phasma cycled through several rounds of magically assisted CPR, but still Rey’s eyes remained closed and her body failed to resume independent function.

 _Fuck_. He’d killed her. This was a nightmare he couldn’t wake from. All the fury and embarrassment he’d felt in the past few weeks suddenly seemed trivial. She was just a kid. How could he do this to her? How could he live the rest of his life knowing she was gone because of him?

Maybe she’d become a ghost. It was a traumatic death- murder _and_ drowning. And she was the vengeful sort. She’d want to haunt him.

It would be okay. She wouldn’t really be gone. She’d be pissed about spending the rest of her afterlife in a lake, but he’s fairly certain the ghost of R’iia blows over the lake. No one’s seen her for decades, but she died protecting her students so he’s sure she’ll take care of Rey.

And he can visit to keep her company. She’ll be mad at him for a good long while, but he’ll keep coming back until she’s forgiven him and he can read to her and tell her about all the things happening in the world she won’t be able to see.

He’ll bring her pie too. Apple and pecan and any flavor she wanted. No that’s not right, she won’t be able to eat. But maybe if he eats it and describes it to her? Or would that make it worse? 

Maybe he can even find a soul gem to hold her. They’re mostly used to confine, destroy, or enslave spirits but he’ll at least be able to take her with him and he’ll let her out of the gem anytime she wants.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck!” Phasma angrily leaned back and took a deep breath.

Ben looked around, searching for her ghost. Surely, she’d be here by now? His heart clenches painfully and it feels like she’s died a second time.

Phasma wasn’t done though. Magic did not revive Rey, but Phasma was known for utilizing No-Maj medical practices as well. Ben watched, stunned, as Phasma locked her arms and pumped her palms down into Rey’s chest. The force of it caused a sickening crack to come from Rey’s chest, and Ben wanted to scream at Phasma to stop hurting her.

But suddenly- the girl was gasping and sputtering. Her eyes were still closed, but now squeezed shut in discomfort instead of placid and lifeless. Relief surged through him like a flood, immediate and overwhelming.

Rey’s coughing started to subside, and she raised her head to look at Ben. She had to know it was him. Oh gods, what should he say to her? 

“Rey—” he started but was interrupted by Poe. It was probably for the better. Beyond her name, Ben hadn’t formed any thoughts into cohesive sentences.

“Stars and Stones, Rey! We thought you were dead!”

“I think she was!” There was a bite in Zorri’s voice, and she glared furiously at Cardo. Hux was watching Ben though, his expression akin to a judgmental parent observing another’s child throw a temper tantrum.

Phasma declared that Rey would be going to the infirmary. Strangely, Ben’s thoughts turned to how disappointed Rey will be to miss tonight’s dessert. He was pretty sure Phasma explicitly forbade the elves from bringing anything sugary to her patients.

Ben was jostled roughly by Finn and Rose as they fought to reach their friend and started peppering her with questions. He felt a spike of anxiety when the topic turned to her malfunctioning charm and she started pulling it out of her shirt. 

He’d engraved the false charm that hung around her neck with his usual precision- the neat, elegant runes and sigils that characterized his spell work always filled him a sense of pride. It wasn’t until after he’d swapped the false charm with her own that he’d realized it would have been much wiser to mimic Rey’s unconcerned angles and curves. She hadn’t noticed the difference this morning, but it would be clear upon inspection that someone with a more refined hand was the culprit.

Luke, who had just managed to reach them from the stands, would surely know it was him. His uncle had rounded out since taking over as Headmaster and needed more than a few moments to catch his breath.

Cardo and Ap’lek were standing on the outskirts of the circle, conversing with their heads together. Ap’lek watched him with interest. Cardo spoke his next statement just loud enough for Ben to hear.

“ _Who’s surprised the scavenger rat can’t swim_?”

Guilt lanced painfully through Ben. Anger was easier. Anger was more productive. Anger guided him towards Cardo and connected his fist with the bigger boy’s jaw. _Ow_. The pain in his knuckles was a surprise, but not unwelcome. Ap’lek looked unsettlingly pleased.

Cardo spat blood and glared at him furiously. “What the fuck, Solo! You said—”

“BEN!” Uncle Luke boomed, finally regaining his breath. Another interruption that probably saved him from a public reaming. “You stand right here until I figure out what to do with you.” Uncle Luke pointed at a spot directly next to him.

Phasma had secured Rey to her floating stretcher and was ready to start moving her. Ben still wants to talk to her. He wants her to know how sorry he is, how glad he is that she’s okay, that he’ll never do anything to harm or embarrass her ever again and she can have all his dessert for the rest of the year. He can’t say any of that in front of Uncle Luke though.

But Rey had something to say to him. She fixed him with a crafty glare, one he was all too familiar with. “Just you wait,” she mutters at him with narrowed eyes. Ben couldn’t help but roll his own. _Of course_ this girl would start plotting her revenge before she’d even wrung the water out of her hair. She was the most stubborn, reckless, annoying person he’d ever met- and he was so ridiculously relieved she was alive.

* * *

Ben planned to only duck into the dining hall long enough to grab something easily portable and take it back to his room to eat. He was agitated from evading classmates and professors who praised him for rescuing Rey, as well as those who knew better and shot him disgusted or knowing looks.

He was shocked he hadn’t been accosted by her friends yet, or Zorii. He kept a wary eye out while stuffing carved turkey into a bread roll. That’s how he noticed Finn and Rose sneaking out with an enormous slice of apple pie. It would never make it to Rey, he knew. Phasma guarded her infirmary with unwavering vigilance.

It gave him an idea though. He hesitated before stuffing his messy sandwich into a jacket pocket and went over to the kitchen. The elves were unhappy to be disturbed during meal service but did not stop him from swiping a fresh pie. He kept his head down and skirted around the edge of the school grounds on the way over to the Thunderbird dorm.

Kuiil, the terse pukwudgie who patrolled the school grounds after dark, eyed Ben and his pie with interest. It wasn’t after curfew though, so Kuiil didn’t get the pie. Ben was one of the few students who knew that Kuiil could be bribed to look the other way, provided you had a sweet treat to offer.

Ben was straddling Rey’s window, pie in hand, when her roommate walked in. Jessika Pava stared at him. Then she grinned.

“This explains _so much_!” she gushed.

Ben’s face heated. “Whatever you think is going on, it’s not.” He wasn’t really sure what conclusions she was drawing, but denial seemed a safe bet.

“Uh huh,” she drawled. She walked over to the wardrobe by her bed and started pulling out pajamas and toiletries. “Tell you what. I was never here. In fact, I’m already in the shower. Never saw you.”

He didn’t know what to do besides watch her as she throws another grin over her shoulder and shuts the door.

He left the pie on Rey’s bed, along with her real Repel Water charm, and skirted the outside of the grounds again back to his own room in the Horned Serpent dormitory.

Hux was sitting in the first-floor common room with a book, and pointedly ignored Ben as he passed. Ben climbed the stairs to the room he shared with Hux and flopped on his bed. A sour smell reached his nostrils and he felt a hint of dampness through his pants.

Ben launched off his bed and angrily yelled down the stairs. “ _Dammit Hux, your fucking cat pissed on my bed again_!”

He could just barely hear Hux’s amused snort from the first floor. He sometimes wondered if Hux had trained his orange tabby to deliberately piss on Ben’s bed, but the cat was hardly ever in their room. He’d never even seen Hux with his own cat, so he didn’t understand why his roommate had it in the first place.

Rey’s friend Rose liked the cat. Maybe he could give Rose catnip as a peace offering and convince her to keep it in her room. And then maybe Rose would tell Rey not to kill him.

He wasn’t sure how it would be between them without an escalating cycle of aggression and payback, but he wouldn’t mind finding out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I'd love to hear any comments or questions you have about the story!
> 
> I plan on going back and posting the earlier stories next, before progressing from where this leaves off. **Here's a little taste** of the stories I have outlined in chronological order:  
> \- Rey discovers magic is real! (Lots of backstory and foreshadowing but no Ben. Might not post unless there is interest).  
> \- Rey and Ben meet! She calls him a big-eared maggot and he tries to do a “citizen’s arrest.”  
> \- Ben “You Need a Potions Tutor” Solo!  
> \- Just You Wait/Ben’s Bad Hair Day (this story)  
> \- Ben “Join me in the Dueling Club” Solo!  
> \- Rey vs. the Bogart!  
> \- Angst Unleashed!  
> \- Advanced Angst: A wild Kylo Ren Appears!  
> \- Angst 3: Rey Who???  
> \- Earning that HEA!
> 
> Follow me on twitter for updates, teasers, and sneak peaks! @dipole_m0ment

**Author's Note:**

> THANK YOU so much for reading! I am a new writer so any comments/questions are greatly appreciated!
> 
> You could also tell me- what was your favorite sentence? :-)


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